How to Self-Manage Domineering Social, Commercial, and Political Mental Programming

Greetings Trailblazers,

My wife and I were reviewing the outline for the Mastering Your Master Class when she pointed out that the Activated Learning techniques felt manipulative. "Exactly," I said, "program yourself, or someone else will." Self-Management is the solution for preventing Mind-Hackers' mental programming from taking control of your mind. Self-Management does this in two ways: first, by integrating our foundational Self-Programming with desired external mental programming, and second, by eliminating undesired external mental programming, Mind-Hackers. This is how we Self-Manage our own minds.

Thank you for choosing the path less traveled. If you are just joining us, please visit the previous Regenerative Transformation Four-Part Series after reading this.

Being here is a significant turning point. Seriously, pat yourself on the back. Do what you do to reward yourself. We are even more excited that you are here if you don't have something. You need something to reward yourself with because Positive Reinforcement is a foundational technique in Self-Management.

Without boring everyone to sleep, the history of mental programming starts at the beginning of human existence, Caveman. The programming is in the name, man, so the grammar check will not stop changing it to Cave Dweller. Without Cavewomen, we wouldn't be here. Mental programming progresses consistently from there in every aspect of our lives, from cradle to grave. Yet, schools will only offer a class on mental programming after we graduate high school, and even then, most will not take it. As it spins...

The military mastered propaganda and Psyche Ops, which can be fun to follow with plenty of conspiracy theorists for spectacular entertainment, but please dig for more reliable research. In no particular order, mental programming is found in world religions, marketing, politics, employment, terrorists, cults, education, parenting, and basically everything. Interestingly, terrorists and cults utilize the same techniques as our bosses and moms. The idea of mental programming inspired me to conceive my phrase, "As it spins..."

I always had a deep interest in human behavior since my father killed himself when I was two. Please realize that I never knew him, so I never lost him. I had first-hand observations of everyone's responses to the tragedy over time, which was imprinted onto my psyche. However, the mind-blowing moment occurred in my first social psychology class in college. It was the actual black-and-white footage of the original Milgram Experiment. I finally connected the observed human behaviors of my childhood with the scientific experimentation and explanation of social psychology.

I highly recommend the movie-documentary “Experimenter: The Stanley Milgram Story” for an entertaining enlightenment on mental programming. You'll be shocked (inside movie joke) to see what you can get someone to do from a position of authority in a white lab coat. The infamous 1961 experiment easily convinced volunteers to severely electrically shock another human being simply because the guy in the white coat said so. Fortunately, the shocks were not real, and the screams were coming from a paid actor pretending to be shocked, which created a whole other controversy in psychological experimentation.

Please grasp the importance of the point. We have socially and scientifically understood how to manipulate and even program the human mind for a very long time. Much of the research funding going to social psychology departments is for mental programming of some sort, whether for the military, politics, or corporations and their associations. Not to mention all the personal data (mental and physical) that corporations collect and store about us. So, know your mind because everyone else already does. As it spins...

Our responsibility is to filter the Mind-Hackers (external mental programming) constantly invading our mindset. By constructing a Mental Firewall, we can Self-Manage our thoughts, goals, actions, and overall Regenerative Mindset. Self-talk is the first building block in our Mental Firewall.

The mantra likely originated from Buddhism, but mantras are present in most religions. Sunday school taught me my first affirmation, "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You." Self-talk is the most powerful Self-Management tool that you can create. It can counter the harshest of brainwashing. Self-talk can propel you through the toughest situations and hardest challenges. It can motivate you to complete the most enduring course or project. More importantly, it is the everyday communication with yourself that keeps you on your path. Here are a few of my favorites:

• ”Two is One, One is None” - My wife and I say this the most. I also remind myself of the need for a partnership in ventures, for a backup rope on the mountain, for a second option in every plan, for a swim buddy, or just for another helping hand.
• “Hold Fast” - This is the motto of our MacLeod family heritage. We were married in the oldest European castle inhabited by a single family, the MacLeods. I'm betting that “Hold Fast” had much to do with that.
• “The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday” - This Navy SEAL motto forged my brother's fortitude, along with many other SEALs. If yesterday isn't the only easy day, we must decide when the vacation ends.
• “Mind Over Matter” - Look it up. This one goes deep in history and evolution. But that doesn't matter; only our minds do.
• “My Training is Never Complete.” - What are your plans after you complete your learning journey? I'm going for a burial at sea, whether whole or ashes. That's when my training is complete.

That is why our Mastering Your Master Class is so important to all of us. We always learn something new, but most forget it as quickly as we turn the page. The Activated Learning principles are about increasing learning retention. Whether your courses lack good instruction or you need to become the best learner you can be, Mastering Your Master Class is the fastest path to advancement and fulfillment.

Self-talk is not only the repetitive mantras you say to yourself but also the stories you tell yourself and your conversations with yourself. We often get caught up in the stories surrounding us (typically negative) and then repeat those stories in our heads. Instead, we can process the stories around us and then continue to repeat our story, the story we intend. Some psychologists also refer to it as tuning out the Chatter (negative external) and tuning in our Inner Voice (positive internal). These techniques ensure that our internal conversation is positive and proactive in our story.

Our intention is NOT to manipulate or mentally program you; we are here to help you Self-Manage so that Mind-Hackers don't have the opportunity to control your mind and decisions. We will discuss many more methods of Self-Management so that you can choose your own mental program and continue to build your Mental Firewall. Now that we have established an essential foundational tool, we will move on to Quadrant 2 of the Regenerative Mindset.

We are here to share and help you with:

• Regenerative Transformation
• Self-Management
• Mastering Your Master Class
• CoreStrengths Empowerment Hub
• Thriving to be a Centenarian (A Century Old)
• Living Off the Grid & Homesteading
• Growing Food
• Building a Grow-Tiny Home
• Other expanding concepts

Thank you for reading. We hope to inspire, inform, relate, and grow.

ACTIVATED LEARNING:  Build your Mental Firewall. Create a list of affirmations, mottos, mantras, sound bites, or one-liners that will serve as your Self-talk Glossary. Eliminate ALL negative Self-talk immediately; research shows that it doesn't help. Prioritize your Self-talk with your go-to phrases at the top. Add new Self-talk when positively inspired and correlates with your Regenerative Mindset. Make it a priority to review your Self-talk Glossary regularly, but ensure that you repeat any new Self-talk as often as possible for at least a month or until it becomes incorporated into your Regenerative Mindset. Teach or share the Self-talk concept to at least one person (partner, friend, child, peer).